DOJ Will Not Charge Darren Wilson in Michael Brown Shooting

(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that former Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson will not be charged in the death of Michael Brown.

“There is no evidence upon which prosecutors can rely to disprove Wilson’s stated subjective belief that he feared for his safety,” the DOJ criminal report said.

According to the report, Wilson “saw Brown reach his right hand under his t-shirt into what appeared to be his waistband.”

Accounts that Brown put his hands up are “inaccurate because they are inconsistent with the physical and forensic evidence,” the report says.

Witness accounts were “inconsistent” and “changed over time,” it also said.

The department also released its investigation of the Ferguson police, which found a pattern and practice of discriminatory policing.

The report includes seven racist emails sent by Ferguson officers. In its review, the Justice Department found 161 use of force complaints against the Ferguson police from 2010 to 2014. Only one case was founded and no officer was disciplined.

Those conclusions come nearly seven months after a confrontation with Wilson left Brown, 18, dead. In the wake of the controversial slaying of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, Brown’s death reignited a national debate over race in America and sparked protests across the country.

With its findings now public, the Justice Department is likely to seek agreement from the Ferguson Police Department to implement serious changes to its practices. But if negotiations fail, then the Justice Department would likely file a civil lawsuit against the police force, hoping a federal judge will force the police department to enact appropriate changes.